Percy Jackson and the Olympians does not belong to me!
FINALLY HOME
Over five years. One thousand, eight hundred fifty two days. Forty four thousand, four hundred forty eight hours. That was how long Percy had been gone.
In short, way too long. On the train ride home, he was a bundle of nerves. What if his friends had forgotten him? What about his mother? Would she look at him in that pitying way that everyone else did?
His hand tightened around the handrest. He was going to be sick. Thinking about home made him feel as if there was a hole in his chest.
He leaned forward and rested his forehead on his knees. He couldn't do this. He'd lost a lot of friends and had to do a lot of bad things, but what truly made him terrified was coming home and what they'd think of the monster he had become. Would Annabeth still love him after realizing he was so badly damaged, physically and mentally?
As much as he wanted to back out of it now, he knew it was time to come home. He'd been at war for far too long.
~~~~~~~~~LINEBREAK~~~~~~~~~~~
Percy Jackson is a coward. That was the only way to explain it. How was it that he could perform well in combat, but quivered at the thought of facing his family? He was a highly decorated member of the navy; where was his bravery?
After getting off the train, he'd decided to hang around in a café for a little bit. It was a few blocks away from his parent's apartment. If he did decide to visit, it wasn't that far of a walk.
He'd been there for hours, getting up and pacing several times. A few people kept glancing over at him, while others simply stared. One little girl had even asked him for an autograph. He was getting so much attention. For what? His amputation or the military uniform?
It was all weird. If the people had seen half the things he'd done, they'd most likely run away in fear.
"Is there something on your mind sweetie?" one of the waitresses asked politely, patting his shoulder gently. She was probably in her late fifties, with grey-streaked red hair and a warm smile.
Startled, he nodded slightly. And then he put his head down, hoping she'd go away.
Just his luck, she sat down across from him. "By the looks of it, you've got a dilemma. Are you just getting home or going back?"
It was definitely the uniform giving him more attention than he'd wanted. He considered ditching it, but he didn't have a fresh pair of clothes. "Coming home," he answered curtly, slumping in his seat. He wasn't in the mood to talk.
She chuckled slightly. "That's always the worse part. Going in all naïve and hoping to help the world, and coming out a broken and defeated man."
His interest peaked, Percy look up at the lady. "You've been in the military?"
She nodded, her eyes trained on her hand that rested on the table. She gently twisted the wedding ring on one of her fingers. "I met my husband there. We had a plan to start a family after all of it was over, but he never made it. That's the thing about the military: they build you up so high, only to have you fall farther. They train you not to die. How to kill. But they don't tell you what to do after all of it. It's almost like sending a bird with a healing wing to fly."
A lump formed in his throat. "Oh," was all he managed to say.
She looked at him and smiled. "For some people, it's hard to adjust, but everything gets better. Eventually. And I'm sure a handsome young thing like you will manage."
He returned the smile and stood up suddenly, grabbing his bag. "Thank you. I, um, have to go see my mom."
She put a warm hand on his, and the other patted his shoulder. "Of course. Family is also another way to help cope. Just know that you'll always have someone there." She stood up too, looking around. "I was told to inform you that we were closing. But I'm glad we had this chat, even if I have to lock up tonight."
After one last pat on the back, she disappeared in the kitchen.
~~~~~~~~~LINEBREAK~~~~~~~~~~~
He'd been standing around in front of the building until his feet decided to work on their own and bring him upstairs. Percy now stood in front of his mom and Paul's apartment, unsure of what to do next. Why was this so hard? He should be eager to run into his mother's arms after being in such a bad place for years. But instead, he was filled with dread at the thought of his parents seeing him like this.
Okay. He was really going to do this. He didn't have to worry anymore. He was finally home.
Setting his bag on the floor, he raised his hand up to the door and knocked. He waited a few moments, feeling as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. And then the door opened.
The first thing he noticed was the smell. He immediately recognized it as freshly baked blue cookies, Sally Jackson's trademark. His heart ached, remembering his obsession with blue food when he was younger. Of course, where he'd been he had to accept what was given to him or starve.
"Percy?" His mother blinked up at him. Her face was blank, and her blue eyes were glistening.
He'd once gotten a chance to go home for a couple of days. His mother was so full of life then, and looking at the woman in front of him now, it was hard to tell it was the same person. It was as if she'd given up all hope of his return.
She'd lost weight, and her skin was paler than ever. He could see a few veins under her nearly translucent skin. She seemed so frail he wanted to just hold her. He couldn't handle seeing her like this. But he didn't move. He wanted her to make the first move.
"Yeah," he said shakily, the lump returning in his throat.
She looked him up and down, her lip trembling. And then her eyes stopped on his shoulder. "I-I thought I told you to come back in one piece, young man," she said sternly, her voice cracking. She then pulled him into a bone crushing hug.
He laughed, wrapping his arm around her. And then she burst into tears, hugging him impossibly tighter, murmuring, "my baby," over and over.
Somewhere in the apartment, a voice called, "Who's at the door?" And then next thing he knew his stepfather Paul was encasing him in a hug.
They stood in the hall for several minutes, embracing each other in hugs. And then Sally pulled away, sniffing and grinning impossibly wide. "Percy, come on in." He could tell how happy she was about saying his name again.
While Percy talked to Paul for a few minutes, Sally disappeared into one of the bedrooms. "Where's she going?" He asked, baffled. Paul smiled as if he knew something Percy didn't. "They have a surprise."
Several minutes later, Sally came out again, followed by a young blonde haired woman. Percy stood up, hugging her as tightly as he could. She was shaking, and for a moment he thought she was crying. But Annabeth pulled away, a broad smile lighting her features. And then she hit him on his arm. "You Seaweed Brain! You could have died!" She pulled him into a hug again. "Don't you ever leave us again."
He laughed. "I promise I'm not going anywhere."
Annabeth grabbed his chin and slightly tugged on it, forcing him to look down. A little girl stood between them, latched onto Annabeth legs. "This is Cassandra Chase-Jackson."
He took a step back and kneeled down, beaming brightly. "Hi Cassie." He said softly.
She looked up at her mother, and with a nod of encouragement, allowed herself to be picked up by Percy. With big grey eyes, she stared at him with absolute delight. Playing with the empty shirt sleeve that he had tied at the bottom, she grinned, showing off her growing teeth. "Daddy!"
And that was when he lost it. He could no longer keep the tears at bay. He sobbed, holding his daughter's little body closer to him. "Ouch daddy," She complained, and he loosened his hold on her.
He stood up, looking toward his wife who sat next to Sally on the couch. "How does she know me?" He remembered the letters to Annabeth after his brief visit, but none of them included his daughter. But that meant she had to be just about two.
"We always show her pictures and videos. She's always so happy hearing your voice, Percy."
Cassandra put her chubby hands on his face, pulling his face closer. She rested her forehead on his and grinned. From this close, he could see green flecks in her eyes. She also had freckles splayed over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, making her look impossibly cuter. "Love you daddy," she said softly.
He hugged her again and she laughed.
This is where he's supposed to be. It had taken him a while to get there, but now there was no chance of him leaving again. He was finally home.
A/N:
Abrupt ending, I know. I was going to add more, but I felt like it was already stretched so thin.
This is for veteran's day, which is coming up soon. My stepdad was in the Marines.
Anyways, how was it? I'll admit, wasn't my best. But I made sure to add a huge ball of fluff at the end! Tell me what you think.
~Diana-Mercury